Princess' Dragon
by SnarkyShinx
Summary: Forced to conjoin their kingdoms, Lucy is set on marrying Gray of the neighboring kingdom. However, the rebellious royal wants nothing to do with marriage. When she has the chance to escape her pampered, cruel life, she leaps at the chance. But is she willing to accept the consequences of her actions? And what does a scarf wearing dragon have to do with anything?
1. Dragon's Shadow

**Chapter One: Dragon's Shadow**

"Princess?" a soft rap came at the door, the bronze handle jiggling open when nothing but a subtle snore answered. A series of brisk clicks echoed across the sleek wood paneled floor, abruptly halting in the general position of the window where the curtains were suddenly drawn.

Afternoon light flooded through the glass and brightened the room, causing a blonde haired youth to shuffle uncomfortably in her king sized bed. Muttering her displeasure, she pulled the goose down blanket over her head in a feeble attempt to block out the blinding light. A moment later however, the blanket was whisked aside, as was the rest of her sheets to prevent the young lady from going back to sleep.

"Princess," the voice repeated, gently shaking the blonde's shoulder.

"Go 'way Virgo," the words slurred from sleep, the girl struggling to find the blankets while fight off unwanted attention from the maid. "An stop calling me princess. Lucy'll suffice."

"I'm sorry, Miss Lucy," the maid- Virgo said sternly with no hint of sympathy or sincerity. "But Master Heartfilia requests your visit at the staircase base. Promptly and wearing preferably something elegant."

The blonde- undoubtedly Lucy Heartfilia, muttered her protests but decided not to make her father wait and shuffled unladylike towards the closet in search of today's clothing.

Virgo insisted on staying to help but Lucy found it pointless for her to stay when she could be cleaning, or cooking, or finishing the laundry. Anything but hanging around creepily with her usual blank, emotionless face. Following her mistress' wishes, Virgo departed the room with a click of her heels, the echo fading as she presumably scaled the spiral staircase to the lower floor.

This left Lucy alone, as per usual. The closet door slid open, revealing racks upon racks of fancy clothing. Some more elegant than others- more for high ranking social events rather than garden parties or simple outdoor wear. Since her father requested elegant, she'd give him elegant.

Slipping out of the satin nightgown, the princess dressed herself into a light blue dress rimmed with white ruffled around the base, neck and sleeves. For shoes, Lucy decided on silver heels that clicked against the wood paneled floors. Up past her elbows sat white gloves, her hair tied up in a side ponytail. To complete the look, Lucy clasped on her mother's necklace: a deep sapphire gem held by a silver chain.

She then stood in front of the wall mirror, forcing her best smile for when she greeted her father- ruler of the Celestial Kingdom and then some.

The Celestial Kingdom it itself was rather beautiful, not that Lucy saw much of it other than sights from her window. It wasn't deemed ladylike to be parading around the commoners when she had plenty of other duties to attend to. The kingdom was very large compared to the other bordering cities, and only slightly bigger than their neighboring kingdom in the north: The Ice Kingdom.

As the name implies, the Ice Kingdom resided in the icy landscape of the northern mountains, constantly trapped within glaciers, thick snow drifts and heavy snowfall. The castle was completely composed of ice- for it was originally a giant glacier, carved out by people long ago that eventually transformed into a place of living. With most kingdoms, they usually had a prince or princess as an heir to the throne. The Ice Kingdom was no different.

The Ice Kingdom's prince was a young man by the name of Gray Fullbuster; the only heir- like Lucy, to the kingdom. From what Lucy heard, he was laid-back, rather quiet and well respected by the citizens of his own kingdom. There didn't seem to be any major flaws in the young man. First, he was a prince. Second, he was well liked. Third, there were rumors floating around about his handsome appearance. But still...

Lucy wanted nothing to do with him.

Why?

Princess Lucy Heartfilia wanted nothing to do with marriage. She was being forced into this marriage in an attempt to conjoin their kingdoms. From what she heard, Prince Fullbuster hadn't objected_. _Lucy would've protested in a heartbeat but she wasn't about to disagree with her father. Ever since her mother had passed away at a young age of six, Jude Heartfilia's temper had worsened and most of his anger was brought out upon his daughter. For ten years, Lucy had been living under his direct rule as to help her chances in _not_ getting a smack across the face. For the most part it had worked, but occasionally she would return to her room a little worse for wear.

So everyday Lucy put on her best smile and tried to endure the day, hoping one day her emotional nightmare would end. She inhaled slowly, exhaling swiftly and again forcing a pleasant grin before departing the room, heels clicking against the floor as she descended the spiral staircase. At the bottom awaited her father, dressed in one of his many expensive suits in a slate mahogany.

"Good morning, father," Lucy greeted him with a small curtsy, keeping her pressured grin in his presence.

"Walk with me," he commanded simply, his hands held behind his back as he began steadily walking down the hall, his daughter quickly trailing after with brisk steps, high heeled shoes echoing down the chamber.

With each set of steps, the glass doors came into view, allowing access to the outdoor patio that shimmered in the warm sunlight. Jude opened the door in a slow motion, motioning for Lucy to walk through. Her heels clacked against the wood flooring, a wave a heat splashing down almost instantaneously. She quickly moved to the shade of the open umbrella, where a tea set was laid out ready to be used. Lucy flattened out her dress as she took a seat, watching cautiously as her father took the seat across from her and began pouring the tea.

"Daughter," he began in his usual rough tone, having stopped calling her by her name years ago. "I have decided that if you are to be wed to Prince Gray, then you should have a personal affiliation with the kingdom. So I'm sending you into the mountains where you will remain with your fiance until the wedding preparations have been set here. Your belongings have already been packed and loaded. You are to be expected there before nightfall."

"What?!" Lucy couldn't refrain herself from yelling as she slammed the cup down on the table, shattering as she rose to her feet in one swift motion.

"Sit down," Jude commanded darkly, glaring across the tabletop, irked as the priceless china had been shattered within seconds.

But Lucy would not. "I'm not going to live with someone I've never met!"

"Stupid girl!" spat Jude, rising to his feet and staring down the young blonde. "You'll meet him if you go on this small trip. It's only for your benefit to get to know the kingdom of ice and better know the prince. For once in your life just listen to me!"

"Maybe I won't!" retorted Lucy, crossing her arms, glaring defiantly back at her father. She barely had time to respond before a hand smacked across her face, sending her stumbling back a few steps from the impact.

"Irresponsible brat!" Jude hissed again, lowering his hand. "Do as you're told and meet the carriage outside by the gates. Now go."

Holding in tears, Lucy barrelled out of the dining room, racing for the safety and security of her chambers. But as she threw open the door, she gasped. Her father hadn't lied, her stuff had been packed away. In mere minutes her room had been cleared, the closet empty. The only thing remaining were larger objects such as the old chest and her bed but most things had been removed.

_Virgo's handiwork,_ she thought bitterly, knowing how quickly the maid could clean, potentially clearing out a room in only minutes without the knowledge of its occupant.

"Princess?" a familiar voice spoke from the doorway. "Master Heartfilia says it's time for your journey to the Ice Kingdom."

Lucy only nodded, her face downcast as she somberly turned and brushed past Virgo, her hand held across the sapphire necklace. Behind her, the door shut courtesy of Virgo and quickly locked. Lucy only stared ahead, ignoring the sounds of the locking door as she descended the staircase awaited by one of the guards.

Sighing, she allowed him to take the lead out towards the gates, passing her father who stood outside the dining hall. The carriage sat right behind the gates, the door held open for the princess who reluctantly boarded, still with a hand over the sapphire. The door shut and the coachmen raced to the head, taking the lead with the reins in hand. Guards were posted on horseback riding along on either side and in the rear. This left Lucy alone in the carriage, hearing nothing but horse hooves against the dirt trail and the spinning wheels of the moving compartment.

Downcast, she exhaled wearily. Already, she was exhausted and too tired to think about anything other than her hatred towards her father, the Celestial Kingdom, and everyone in the Ice Kingdom. There wasn't anything she didn't hate at that moment. For the time being, Lucy hated the world.

Life was so unfair.

...

Hours later- or what Lucy presumed, the carriage had come to an abrupt halt, effectively knocking the princess free of sleep and sent her into a whirlwind of confused thoughts. Remaining still, she heard one of the guard's voices; "What business do you have, peasant?"

It was obvious he was displeased. Most people living on the castle grounds often had an air of pompousness and a sense they were better than anyone else. From outside the horses knickered uncertainly, pawing at the dirt with their hooves.

"I've come to warn you!" gasped the peasant- a woman by the tone. Lucy couldn't see her but she could tell the woman was genuinely scared.

"Warn us?" scoffed another guard atop a chestnut mare; one of the only visible guards to Lucy for he was standing beside the window. "Nothing can harm us. Move on, old woman."

The woman only yelled louder, panting and gasping. "Dragons!" she shrieked, waving her arms which was oblivious to the princess who was itching to open the door but she knew the serious talk she'd soon have with the guards for such a reckless action.

"Dragons," laughed the first guard at the front. "No one has seen dragons in decades! They're probably all dead! Move on!"

"I saw them!" persisted the old woman, still shrieking. "It was eating bandits!"

"Bandits?" the guards tensed, apparently feeling more threat from rule breaking humans rather than winged beasts of terror. "Nothing we can't handle. Now I'll only say it once more: Move on!" The old woman finally shuffled on, hobbling briskly towards the direction of the Celestial Kingdom. The reins cracked and the carriage jolted forward, Lucy plopping back into her seat from the sudden motion. A few moments later it settled back onto an even pace, the carriage bouncing gently on the path hugging the grass ledge that sloped down towards a stream.

_Long way to fall,_ Lucy thought, pressing her face against the carriage's window, staring down with blue eyes glued to the scenery. All the peacefulness of nature suddenly ended with one loud roar, something causing the carriage to abruptly shake back and forth with incredible speed.

Lucy jostled against the carriage's interior, the door suddenly jerking open from the impact. Screaming, Lucy felt herself falling through air, gravity pulling her down the steep slope. In her peripheral vision, she could make out a silvery-gray shape perched atop the carriage, roaring and fending off spear and sword attacks from the guards. Her body came in contact with the grass, still screaming she tumbled down, thorn bushes scattered randomly tore at the dress and began to scrape skin. Eventually, the slope evened out. Although not close enough to account for stumble factor. The inertia carried through, Lucy still on a straight course until she felt nothing but water. Holding her breath, she surfaced with a gasp, only then noticing the stream was deeper than it had looked from the cliff ledge at the top. She crawled out, coughing sharply before laying sprawled out on her stomach.

Chortling laughter echoed from behind, a large shadow looming over Lucy. She whirled around in fear, staring up horrified at the figure. A dragon.

_Thou's first attempt at a Fairy Tail fanfiction. As the summary and title reveal, my biased NaLu pairing. Either way, I hope you all enjoy and time willing, more chapters will be updated regularly. Don't worry, my other stories will be up soon too. I've put Altered Forms on a small hiatus while I write the next chapter. I blame school. If you are all interested in my challenges, those will be updated provided I stay active on forums. Shouldn't be a problem. Remember, read & review! Thou appreciates comments._

_-Snarky_


	2. Dragon's Treasure

**Chapter Two: Dragon's Treasure**

Lucy stared up in terror, unable to respond to the shadowing beast. Her muscles locked up and she couldn't find the power to even scream. Her breath froze, unable to conjure up any emotion beside fear.

The towering figure however, fell backwards, snorting puffs of smoke through its nostrils while exhaling choked laughter. The dragon flopped on its back, releasing garbled howls through the chortling.

"So funny!" it howled. "The way you just fell into the water! Hilarious!"

By then, Lucy had found her bearings and had a well set mind to actually comprehend the dragon's figure. As he- or what Lucy presumed was a he, ceased his hysteria and began looking down at the princess, Lucy could easily tell that the "oh so terrifying" dragon was only a few heads taller than herself. His scales were that of a brilliant scarlet, the edge of each scale tipped with a bright fuchsia. A pair of deep onyx optics bored into her brown, his tail thrashing to the side like a playful puppy. The set of wings on his back shuffled, equally excited and full of energy. The only thing out of place was a black and white checkered scarf that wrapped loosely around his neck. Lucy thought it odd but remained quiet about it.

"You're a dragon," Lucy finally choked out, staring up into the dark abyss which quickly displayed amusement.

"Duh," he snorted, eyes rolling. "Weirdo. What- have you never seen a dragon before?"

Lucy slowly shook her head, furthering the dragon's excitement and amused sense. The scarlet scaled dragon then shrugged, as if losing interest. He suddenly regained it with; "So what's your name? And what brings you into dragon territory?"

"Dragon?" Lucy found her normal voice, sizing up the beast. Raising an eyebrow she scoffed, "More like overgrown lizard."

The "overgrown lizard" twitched, obviously fuming at the name. "I. Am. A. Dragon." he spat evenly, staring into Lucy's eyes with inky black pools. Lucy couldn't resist laughing as he furiously tried to defend himself. When the dragon gaze her a weird look she smiled, "Sorry, I'm Lucy. Princess Lucy Heartfilia."

"And I am Natsu the fire dragon," the red scaled lizard replied with a proud puff of his chest. He then paused and stared her down, tilting his head. "Did you say princess?"

Lucy nodded, unsure.

The recently named Natsu gave a dragon grin with fangs protruding from his jaw, laughing inwardly before snagging ivories into her dress scruff. "Then you and I will get along perfectly." He said through the cloth. Even though Natsu seemed to be a few heads taller, he still had enough height to keep her legs from touching the earth as she struggled in his grip.

"Let me go, you overgrown lizard!" she spat, wiggling in a futile attempt to break free. Natsu only replied with rumbling laughter. "Feisty, aren't we?" he teased, crossing the faintly sloping earth. "Stop struggling and you can ride on my back."

Lucy debated this in her head, being carried around like this wasn't exactly pleasant. She allowed herself to fall limp, gently swinging with the back of her dress firmly clamped between the dragon's teeth. A second later, the red scaled lizard swung her swiftly to the side and let go. She nearly screamed but was caught safely on his back, between the wing joint and neck. The dragon was trotting at a leisurely pace, the soft slope of the grassy mound slowly flattening out to reveal a large plot of untouched grass. Taking in the view through marveled brown eyes, Lucy was absently stroking Natsu's scarlet scales, subconsciously finding them extremely soft rather than hard and tough.

"Hey, overgrown lizard," Lucy spoke, her hand continuously running down the scales on his neck. "Where are we going?"

"Just a little place I like to call home," Natsu replied, his pace quickening against the grass, claws tearing up scattered patches. His wings slowly unfurled, giving Lucy a sickening feeling lodged in her stomach. He wasn't going to...was he?

With a roar and a squeak, Natsu's wings flared open to their full extent, taking a graceful bound from the earth before finding feet no longer touching solid ground. Lucy clung tightly to the dragon's neck, her eyes glued shut as she screamed. Her stomach churned as Natsu took her disdainful feelings further, maneuvering several loops in the air. Still shrieking her discomfort, Lucy continued clinging tightly to Natsu, unaware they had abruptly stopped moving and were now perched on a protruding ledge of rock.

"You can stop screaming now," came Natsu's slightly irritated voice. As Lucy ceased, he muttered, "Weirdo."

The princess took in her surroundings. Obviously they were on ground, elevated ground technically speaking. As Natsu allowed her to slide off, she was met with a hollow tunnel leading into the cliff- presumably his lair. She walked ahead a few steps, not knowing whether to be comforted or scared as Natsu padded beside her. He was currently snorting harmless sparks from his nostrils, the faint light brightening the cavern as the duo trekked further.

"This your lair?" she asked cautiously, peering around in the darkness as best she could. She heard Natsu snort.

"If you want to be dramatic then yes; although I prefer the simple term of 'home'."

Lucy fell quiet again, the tunnel branching off into a larger chamber where in which it was a cluttered mess. Wooden scraps lay about the corners; most likely some form of structure at one point, tattered cloth hung from the walls and lay on the floor, and the whole place smelled faintly like fish. "This is your home?"

"Yup!" Natsu answered cheerfully, leaving Lucy's side and plopping on a clump of wood and possibly a mattress meaning at one point it was a bed. The "bed" sagged in the middle as the dragon flopped on his side, painfully creaking as if would splinter and any moment.

Lucy's brown optics floated about the cavern, tensing up immediately as something landed on her head. Natsu could sense her discomfort and laughed, tail tip twitching. Lucy nearly screamed, catching herself as she stared into the eyes of a bright blue furred cat. The cat tilted its head with a small mew before sliding down onto her shoulder. Lucy's anxiety faded and was replaced with warmth as she laughed, stroking the oddly colored cat between the ears. As she looked further though, she noticed the cat had a set of white feathered wings.

"Hey lizard," Lucy called over uncertainly. "You know this cat has wings, right?"

"Course I do!" retorted Natsu. "And his name is Happy by the way. He gives me company."

"You mean you're all alone up here?" Lucy questioned, stroking Happy under his chin as she stared at the red scaled dragon. She felt rather guilty when she received a nod in response, the dragon's onyx eyes becoming very familiar with the stone floor. She walked over slowly, settling herself on the clump of wood frames and pillows before gently running a hand down along one of his wings, at peace with the warmth radiating from his body.

"That why you kidnapped me?" she asked, looking at Natsu's inky optics for a response. He looked at her incredulously.

"I didn't kidnap you!" he shouted in defense but then gave a half nod of reluctance. "Living here forever with no sense of company other than a cat can really make you lonely. I guess it really didn't matter if you were a princess or not I just needed someone to talk to that would answer back. If you really wanted, I could take you back to wherever you came from. And I'd never return to 'kidnap' you."

Lucy felt really guilty now. "I'll stay," she answered with a small smile. "Besides, I don't want to return anyways. My father would insist I go stay with that stuck up prince in the Ice- damn it!"

The dragon gave her a look through narrowed eyes. "Princesses shouldn't swear. But what has you all riled up?"

"I was supposed to be in the Ice Kingdom by this evening. Once they find out I'm missing they'll stop at nothing to return me home!" Lucy hissed, throwing her hands up in defeat, causing Happy to flee from her shoulder. "I'll be forced back home and into this stupid marriage!" She slumped over once releasing the anger, now turning into sadness as she began sniffling.

Warmth wrapped around her as she found a wing held around her frame, Natsu staring her down with anger and determination. "Princess," he began sternly. "I won't let anyone force you into something you don't want. If that means fighting, then I will fight on your side for your beliefs and needs. I don't want to see you unhappy."

Lucy looked up with tears in her eyes, forcing Natsu to recoil as he suddenly sputtered, "Ah! What did I do? What did I do? Don't cry! I didn't mean to! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The blonde shook her head, now smiling with water streaming down her cheeks. "You haven't done anything but make me happy. I'm feeling nothing but joy to know that you're looking out for someone as insignificant as me."

"But you're crying," Natsu pointed out, staring at her with uncertainty.

"Tears can also mean joy, Natsu," Lucy answered, finally using the dragon's real name instead of "overgrown lizard". Water continuously running down her cheeks, she leaned against the dragon's side, feeling protected as his wing wrapped around her and pulled her close. His head rested atop her messy patch of blonde, eyes closing while releasing a content rumbling sound. Lucy would have described it as purring. Happy somehow wriggled under the dragon's wing and placed himself on Lucy's lap. His wings folded neatly at his sides as the feline dropped into sleep.

"A dragon protects his treasure," murmured Natsu, already half asleep with his eyes closed. As if to emphasize his point, his tail wrapped protectively around Lucy; his newly captured treasure.

_Shorter than my last chapter and less thrilling but rest assured, there will be more action next chapter. Remember to read & review! I like hearing your comments!_

_-Snarky_


	3. Dragon's Defense

**Chapter Three: Dragon's Defense  
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Blearily, Natsu's onyx orbs fluttered open, glancing around with the cavern in a haze. His wings shuffled against his sides, head swerving to each side. Panic surged through his blood as he realized Lucy was no longer under the safety of his wing. In fact, she was nowhere to be found within eye's reach.

"Princess?" he called, unsure as he rose from the bed, scrambling off with his claws scraping against stone. Giving another search with his eyes, he noticed Happy was missing too. Another rush of fear swept up in his head. What if they were hurt?

Inwardly trembling, Natsu barreled down the corridor leading outside; the light at the end of the tunnel illuminating false hope. Claws scoring cuts in the rock, the scarlet scaled dragon screeched to a halt, relief flooding over the fear as he spotted the blonde on a flat rock currently shaded by an overhanging tree.

She had a needle and thread, along with red fabric laying across her lap and a blue cat with feathered wings sitting atop her head. By her relaxed stance, Natsu could assume she hadn't even heard his sudden approach.

"Princess?" he questioned, halting in front of her. Lucy dropped the needle, startled. "Oh Natsu, you gave me a start. What's up?" She bent down to pick up the needle again and continue threading the fabric together.

"You weren't in the cave; I was worried," the dragon explained sheepishly. Lucy laughed, teasing, "Aww, was the overgrown lizard worried about little 'ol me?"

The lizard in question stiffened, snorting in his defense. "No. I was just simply looking out for you in case you were carried off or something. You are ok, aren't you princess?"

"Natus, no need to be so formal," Lucy smiled warmly. "You don't have to call me princess. Lucy will work. In all honesty, formalities and royal titles don't work for me." The red dragon scuttled closer, shuffling his talons across the rock ground to place himself beside the blonde. "Sorry, Luce. What'cha doing anyways?"

"Well in case you hadn't noticed, my clothes are a little worse for wear," she motioned to her torn blue dress. "I searched a little around the cave and found some fabric, needle and thread and decided to make myself something that I could walk around in instead of...well this."

"You're very talented," Natsu remarked. "I didn't even know I had this stuff."

"It's very hard to notice this stuff when its crammed under rags, wood, books, and anything else cluttered around," Lucy's eyes rolled. "But thank you anyhow. Mother taught me at a very young age, I guess it kinda stuck. I even had the time to make Happy this."

She held out the small feline, displaying a forest green scarf that loosely tied around his neck. He let out a small mew in response.

"Cute," the dragon chuckled. "Matches mine," he held a claw up to his black and white checkered garment. Lucy gave a smile and returned to her work, threading another area together. Natsu couldn't relish her joy for longer than a few minutes, a soft rumble twitching his senses uncomfortably. The princess noticed his displeasure and looked up, "Natsu? Something wrong?"

The dragon released a throated growl, tail swishing against the earth and wings shifting along his back, as if preparing to take off into the air at any moment. "Someone approaches," he muttered darkly, taking a step forward to peer over the edge. Lucy rose and followed, her brown eyes searching for the disturbance. Further down the ridge, thundering across the barren plain raced a black stallion; a Friesian to be exact. Atop the proud equine sat a raven haired youth in a blue coat, determination set in his dark blue eyes. Once approaching the cliff face, the Friesian jerked to a halt, allowing his ride to dismount.

"I have heard rumors of a dragon nesting here; do you hold Princess Lucy Heartfilia in your possession?" the boy shouted up at the ledge, having spotted the looming shape of a dragon-like figure on the ridge.

"That I do," the dragon snorted confidently, taking pride in the action as his wings shifted. "Who are you to ask, human?"

"I am Prince Gray of the Ice Kingdom," the boy announced, striking a heroic pose. "And I have come to help her return where she belongs."

"You fool!" spat the pink tipped, scarlet scaled beast. "The princess has no intentions of returning! Leave well alone and take your horse back to wherever you came from! Don't test my rage!"

"You are taking her prisoner!" Prince Gray yelled, subconsciously discarding his coat and somehow his shirt. "I will not return without the princess! Hand her over now and you won't get hurt!"

"You're worried about me?" the dragon bellowed in amused laughter. "It is you who should be worried about getting hurt, stripper!"

"Natsu," Lucy gently poked the dragon's side. "Don't overdo it. He may be trying to take me home but I won't stand against you killing someone innocent."

Natsu gave an audible sigh to which only Lucy could hear. "Alright, Luce. For you, I won't rough him up too badly. Even if he is an arrogant stripper." His wings flared, roaring down to the prince who hadn't moved. "I thought I told you to leave!" With that, the scarlet beast suddenly descended from the cliff, talons extended as he prepared to snatch him from the earth.

The prince took to a stance, hands thrust outwards. "Ice-make sword!" With the magic words chanted, a sword made completely of ice appeared in his grip. He slashed forward with the sword; ice meeting claws as Natsu swooped and his talons brushing as he flew past. He drove the weapon forward, slashing against one of the beast's hind legs. This caused a roar of pain from Natsu inwardly berating himself for letting such a foolish attack strike him.

_Oh great, he's a mage,_ he thought bitterly, wings curving, changing maneuvers as he whirled around for a second attack. Talons extended again, now coming into contact with an actual human as the prince was lifted from the ground, stuck in his foe's tight grip. He struggled but found it futile as the dragon kept his hold. Smirking, Natsu threw his prey into the air before spinning with a fancy dive and using his tail to knock him down to the ground. As the thrashing tail came in contact with Gray's body, he felt his descent increasing with the added push and gravity's help.

"Natsu!" Lucy cried fearfully, knowing the fall would surely kill him if not seriously injure him for a long while. With reluctance, Natsu dove for the falling raven haired youth, snatching him several meters from the ground before swiftly ascending and giving him a hefty toss to the cliff ledge.

Gray's body slumped on its side from the impact. His hand still clung tightly to the sword, struggling to rise and defeat the beast. It was then he spotted the blonde; the princess he was sent to retrieve after she was kidnapped. He started reaching out to her but was stopped as a heavy thud landed in front of him. There stood the scarlet scaled dragon, snorting coils of smoke and embers from his nostrils.

"You have lost," he growled, standing protectively in front of his treasure, tail swishing slowly against the rock. "You have now seen the princess, begone before I start to lose my temper."

"You mean you haven't yet?" Gray coughed, smirking as he shakily stood, quickly regaining confidence. "You're keeping a royal member of the Heartfilia family hostage; that is not something I can ignore. You will either stand aside and not get hurt or I will slay you and take the princess. Both options involve me taking the princess to where she belongs but only one grants you life. Choose wisely."

"Choose?" Natsu broke out in childish, chortling laugher as he flopped on his side. "That's rich coming from the one who's obviously been defeated!"

"Don't laugh you fat newt!" Gray snarled, losing his own temper with the childish dragon. Enraged, he rushed forward and swiftly drove the sword at the exposed flank, causing a startled screech to come from the receiver. The ice sword then embedded itself through the scales and into flesh, refusing to be removed as it was tugged on.

Natsu then tried to lunge, his sense of focus slowly lost from the impact of the sword lodged in his flank. He stumbled a few paces forward, lashing out blindly at the prince who continuously dodged each swipe with a surprising amount of agility. "Ice-make hammer!" Like before, a large weapon created of ice appeared in the youth's hands, driving full force at the dragon. Each swipe was aimed at the muzzle, preventing the dragon from using a breath attack.

Lucy stood paralyzed in fear at the cave tunnel, comforted by the presence of Happy on her shoulder. Dread flooded through her mind. Natsu was losing! What if he lost completely? Would she go back with Gray? To the Ice Kingdom? To her father? To marriage?

No...Never...

"No!" she shrieked, drawing attention to herself as she lifted the feline from her shoulder and hurled him at Gray. The attack was unexpected and Gray found sharp claws now slicing against his entire face as Happy started freaking out. He frantically tried to stay clinging to Gray which was rather hard when the prince was shaking his head and using his hands to try and pry away the cat. Hissing and spitting, Happy was removed and quickly scampered off with the use of his wings towards the safety of the cavern.

Natsu's slender head lifted to size up his opponent, Lucy having bought the time he needed to recover and strike back. He swung out a thrashing tail under Gray's legs, causing the prince to trip and topple over in surprise. The dragon laughed, having the upper hand as his tail swung around again.

Despite being injured, Gray surfaced to his feet and started where he left off; another ice made weapon swiftly striking the muzzle of the scarlet scaled reptile. Natsu wouldn't allow such a pathetic human defeat him, especially since he had promised to protect Lucy. But Lucy was fresh out of distractions and Natsu was currently locked in furious battle. With weakened onyx eyes, he stole a glance towards the princess huddled close to the tunnel entrance. He would have to win for her sake.

"I said begone!" he roared, tackling Gray with a powerful spring that sent both over the cliff edge. Both were suspended in air, quickly falling from the high amount of gravitational pull. Natsu's wings flared open to keep himself upright while his claws pulled away leaving Gray to fall from a fairly decent height that surely wouldn't kill him. He landed next to his horse, grunting to stand and mount the Friesian. "You may have won this time lizard, but rest assured I will not let you have the princess!" he shouted up at the hovering dragon, turning the horse away and galloping back the way he came.

Natsu snorted at his victory, suddenly reminded of the sword lodged through his scales on his flank. Snorting, a small fire blast began melting it, some of the pain relieved. He shook his head to pull away from the dizziness and started ascending towards the cliff.

From the ledge there erupted a roar, soon followed by a human scream and a heavy set of wing beating. Natsu felt a rush of panic. Lucy screamed. But from what? His question was quickly answered as a large silvery-gray shape took to the skies, clutching something in its front talons. A flash of blonde told who it was.

"Natsu!" the dragon heard her voice, faintly from the height and nearly completely masked by roars.

"Lucy!" the dragon roared back, wings flapping furiously to gain altitude after the silver shape. But to no avail. Whatever it was had a clear advantage in not being wounded and already several bounds away. Lucy's voice was gone within seconds.

_Cliffhanger! Who has captured our dear princess? I suppose you'll have to wait and find out. Any guesses to who kidnapped her?_

_-Snarky_


	4. Dragon's Force

**Chapter Four: Dragon's Force**

Lucy's throat became hoarse, no longer able to continue shrieking in fear of losing her voice completely. The echo had carried through the wind but soon dissipated within moments. Holding back tears, she lifted her head to steal a glance at her captor. It was obviously a dragon based on its build. Its scales were that of a dark silver- almost like a tough sheet of metal had encased the beast. Its tail stretched out was very long with a club ending donned with spikes; a very threatening weapon in the heat of battle. Further up its spiny back sat its head where rested a pair of sleek black horns that curled much like a rams.

"W-where are you taking me?" Lucy stuttered through stifled sobs. When the dragon looked at her, she could see his dark red eyes before turning away, refusing to answer. "Take me back!" she demanded, fear evident in her voice.

The silver dragon only snorted, shifting his position and the air and causing Lucy to shake, scared he would drop her. Thankfully, the dragon wasn't a complete moron and decided to keep a firm grip as they picked up speed. His wings pulled in, gliding at a very quick pace through the wispy clouds. As the cotton white fluffs slowly faded, Lucy's gaze was met with a dead forest that came closer into view as her captor hovered above the gnarled branches.

He landed with a grunt in a sparse clearing, stray branches scraping against Lucy and furthering more tears into her dress. Around the base of the lifeless foliage roamed a blanket of fog, silhouettes of ridged trees standing visibly among the eerie mist. Lucy was still pinned under the dragon's claws; which were noted as long and came to a sharp point. She struggled to free herself, earning an amused chuckle from her captor.

"Why must you struggle so?" the voice came in a low rumble, faintly amused as he showed teeth in a dragon grin.

"Because its not right to kidnap and keep people against their will!" Lucy spat in response, frowning to hide her fear. "Especially when it's royalty!"

"Royalty, hmm?" the silver dragon's interest perked, murmuring to himself. "So that hot headed lizard finally caught himself a worthy prize. Interesting. This'll be more fun than I thought."

"You'd better let me go," Lucy threatened with as much malice as she could muster which was surprisingly a lot. "Or my fierce dragon companion will tear you to shreds."

The silver dragon released a loud laugh, trees shuddering at the intensity of something so loud in their dismal state. He stared at her through gleeful red eyes. "I don't suppose you're talking of Natsu?"

"So you've heard of him," the blonde replied, eyes narrowed. "Then you should know you're in for a world of pain." The dragon only laughed louder.

"If you mean he's in for a world of pain, then yes, I agree with you."

Their conversation was held short as an enraged roar caused the trees to shudder again, heavy footsteps crunching over dead bracken. From the fog stood a dark silhouette; a silhouette of a dragon no doubt. And there was only one dragon whom Lucy had made contact with besides the one she was currently taken hostage by. That one dragon being...

"Let her go, Gajeel," growled an icy voice, the mist fading to reveal the young dragon with pink tipped scarlet scales paired with a set of deep onyx eyes. "I highly recommend you release her or you'll be dealing with me."

As her dragon friend began circling the newly titled Gajeel, Lucy noticed the splash of dried crimson on his flank where he had been struck with the sword. The blade had now been removed though the wound had yet to be healed.

"Just my plan, Salamander," Gajeel retorted smugly, roughly nudging Lucy aside with a swipe of his claws and dropping into a crouch. Lucy fell against a tree for support and called over her status of "I'm ok!" after Natsu had giver her a worried look and prepared to advance out of fear. The scarlet scaled dragon regained control, still worried by the frequent glances he stole to make sure the blonde wasn't hurt.

Both reptilian beasts had began their match, circling each other with furious glares and the occasional warning swipe. Finally, one swing fell too far and suddenly both were locked in combat.

From the sidelines, Lucy was worried. Natsu shouldn't have gone into this type of battle right after taking a serious hit. Her anguish spiked once Gajeel had driven a hard swipe against the recent wound, the blood starting to freely flow once again. Natsu had thrown aside the larger dragon, flickering of flames peeking out from bared teeth. Followed by another snarl and roar, the dragons were thrown into a tussle of claws and teeth. The scarlet scaled dragon's temper flared, firing off a very large stream of orange at his opponent.

Using superior speed to dodge, Gajeel swung his mace-like tail at Natsu's crown, striking a direct blow to the head. This attack forced a shrill hiss from the fire dragon and lashed out with a flurry of orange flames. Several managed to hit their intended target but none seemed to do permanent damage against the steel hide dragon.

Gajeel quickly lunged again, drawing sharpened metal claws against the crimson stained wound, another slash ripping out a few scales with more blood splashing out at a much quicker pace. As the silver dragon pulled back, Lucy could see the dripping red from his claws. Natsu roared with fury, onyx eyes blazing as his body was consumed by flames, though none seemed to hurt him. Gajeel wasn't surprised; matching the roar before the spikes along his back grew, his claws growing longer as did his teeth. His mace-like tail had grown in size just like the rest of him, showing off deadly spikes of pointed metal. Hissing and spitting, the two dragons of immense power clawed, bit, and spat flames at each other. Well, at least Natsu was spitting flames. Gajeel kept to lashing out with extensions of his claws that abruptly shrunk back after striking to avoid getting hit.

"Quit dodging and fight!" the metal dragon snarled, swiping out again with an extension of his claws.

"I'll take you on anytime!" spat the fire dragon, lurching ahead at rocket speed and ramming full force into his opponent's chest. They were suddenly a mass of flailing spikes and scattered puffs of orange embers. Natsu's teeth clamped around Gajeel's front paw, but not for long as the metal reinforced dragon bashed him aside with a hefty swing of his tail. The scarlet scaled dragon was sent sprawling, his barrier of flames remaining strong burning, giving him the energy he needed to stand up again.

"You can still stand," the metal dragon remarked with a look of surprise. Natsu replied with an arrogant huff, refusing to reply with words and instead spraying a huge wave of fire towards Gajeel. The metal dragon was caught by surprise and furiously tried to slash away the embers, only surprised as the wave increased causing him to recoil several feet. As Natsu began advancing, Lucy could swear that the barrier of fire was increasing, spreading to nearly five or six feet from his body.

Roaring in fury, Natsu lurched forward and collided with the larger dragon. This attack knocked him backwards into a gnarled tree, the dead wood clinging to the spikes and refusing to release the metal dragon from its grip.

Nearing closer, Natsu's barrier of fire flickered several feet further and the nearest branch tips burst aflame. The flickering orange quickly zipped down the dead foliage, nearing the base of the trunk within seconds. Only minutes later, several trees were engulfed in flames before spreading to much of the dead forest. Trees had fallen, one of the largest trees actually pinning down the metal dragon. Gajeel wriggled helplessly under the burning tree, trying to lash out and escape with panicked roars and snarls. Natsu advanced with slow, deliberate steps, the fire barrier nearly consuming his body and preventing someone on the outside from seeing what was on the inside.

Lucy could see him though. Lucy could see the bloodlust in his lifeless onyx eyes. His rage driven emotions perking anxiety.

"Natsu!" she cried desperately. Just because Gajeel had kidnapped her, it didn't mean she didn't want to see someone die. The dragon halted, the flames practically flickering up against Gajeel's muzzle. His head turned to see the disturbance that had prevented his kill.

"You need to stop," Lucy said shakily, taking a few steps closer. "There isn't any need for pointless bloodshed and death. He may deserve it but as a favor to me...please don't kill him." Tears were brimming in her eyes.

The hardened look in Natsu's rage boiled optics slowly died, the barrier flickering out slowly and leaving an exhausted looking dragon behind. With weakened steps, he began trudging towards the blonde, meeting her halfway with a forced smile as she embraced him in a hug.

"Pathetic sap!" snarled Gajeel, still trapped although the flames had significantly died out once the Natsu's barrier faded. "You don't even have the courage to slay me and instead turn with your tail between your legs to a human!"

"I am showing you mercy, metal head," Natsu retorted, turning his crown to face the trapped dragon. "Out of the goodness in my heart, you can lay there defeated- but breathing. And now I take my leave. Don't test my power ever again."

Holding a wing over Lucy, the fire dragon guided her through the dead foliage at a slow walk, still rather fatigued so he couldn't exactly fly right away. Exhausted herself, Lucy leaned against her dragon companion, rather satisfied with herself and leaving on a positive note.

"You're an idiot, you know that right?" Lucy looked up at the bruised and battered fire dragon, the wound upon his side stained a bloody mess.

"But I'm _your_ idiot," the dragon forced a grin despite the pain, now a numb thorn in his side. He playfully bumped her side and released a weak dragon laugh. Lucy returned the smile, brightening the dismal ambiance despite the depressing atmosphere of dead foliage.

"That's right Natsu," she murmured happily. "You're_ my_ idiot."

_Dawww! More light hearted fluff after a triumphant battle. Don't fret, many more battles to come. This is only the beginning. Can anyone see a pattern here? Guess you'll have to wait to find out. Thanks to all who have reviewed so far! Thou appreciates it!  
><em>

_-Snarky_


	5. Dragon's Fever

**Chapter Five: Dragon's Fever**

Lucy awoke with a start, her body feeling incredibly hot for such a cold autumn morning. Confused, Lucy looked to her side where she saw her dragon companion sprawled on his side, his wing still kept over her head to retain warmth and comfort. Under normal circumstances, she wouldn't worry. Practically every morning the two awoke like this; Lucy would sleep under Natsu's wing, the scarlet dragon would lay on his side and the blue cat would find a warm spot in the blonde's arms.

But today wasn't a normal circumstance.

Instead of breathing normally- a slow content pace with a snort or two in the middle, Natsu's breathing was depicted as heavy and quick. Not to mention his scales were drenched in a layer of clear, wet substance that Lucy would probably guess as sweat.

"Natsu?" she nudged his side, the previous wound no longer thanks to plenty of soaked tapestries. She recoiled with a frown, her hand sticky from the dragon's sweat. Ick. "Natsu, wake up," she ordered in a louder voice, and despite her own disagreements, she began roughly pushing him with both hands and trying desperately to ignore the gross mess of liquid now encasing them.

The dragon murmured his protests, cracking an onyx eye open with a look of distress. "Luce?" he murmured in a hoarse voice, unusual to his normal morning person routine of practically yowling and jumping all around the cave. Lucy felt worried.

"What's wrong? You're covered in sweat and you look absolutely wasted," she observed with a frown.

"Ngh," the dragon muttered, rolling onto his other side with a grunt. "I'm sick."

"Sick?" Lucy gasped, eyes wide. "From what?"

"Fight with Gajeel," Natsu answered through tiny grunts of pain. "I entered a stage called the Dragon Force- Gajeel did it too. That's why I had the barrier of fire and he had grown in size. It takes up a lot of energy but it's really powerful and quite useful if absolutely needed. I wasn't about to half-ass my job as your protector so I did what I had to do. To keep you safe I needed to use the Dragon Force. And now I'm paying the price..." His voice trailed off with an added cough. "If a dragon uses the Dragon Force their energy will quickly be diminished and leave the host in a sickly state for several days. Or long enough to replenish their energy."

"What can I do to help?" Lucy asked frantically, extremely worried for the fate of the scarlet scaled dragon.

"Nothing," Natsu rasped, voice growing faint. "But I wouldn't mind some water."

Lucy forced a smile, rising from her seat and wandering towards the cave entrance where sat a pail. That was the source of carrying the water from the stream at the cliff base.

"And perhaps a blanket," the dragon continued. Lucy could see his grinning face even with his back turned.

"Yes your majesty," she curtsied and continued forwards, catching the last part of his sentence.

"And I wouldn't mind a story."

"You're pushing your luck, overgrown lizard," Lucy rolled her eyes, quickly departing through the tunnel, pail in hand. She could still feel the smirk bore into the back of her head. Such a Natsu thing to do.

...

Upon her return, Lucy noticed the fire dragon still curled up on his side in a tight ball in the center of the half broken piece of furniture. His body was still drenched with the sticky, wet sweat and his breathing was still faintly ragged. She brought a tapestry over his still form to use as a large blanket, noting how useful they were considering how many were scattered about the cavern. She set down the pail by the bed and sat on the edge. She looked closer and saw Happy pleasantly asleep on the dragon's head. Lucy smiled. At least they weren't suffering too badly. Settling herself upon the creaking bed, she leaned up against the blanket draped reptile and set a hand atop the scarlet crown.

"You wanted a story, right?" Lucy murmured, gazing off at the mouth of the cave where light flickered in. She held a hand over the sapphire necklace that miraculously remained intact during the past few days. "I'll tell you a story. Long ago, but not too long ago- perhaps ten years ago, there lived a young girl. This girl happened to be a princess of a prosperous kingdom. She was very happy with her mother and father. But then, one day her life turned upside down..."

_The girl charged down the long hallways, in her hands an interestingly made "muffin". Her hands and face were covered with flour, sugar and other assorted cooking ingredients. Earlier in the morning, she had begged the cook to let her cook something for her mother. After looking into the six year old's pleading face, how could he say no? So the young girl made herself comfortable in the kitchen while the cook made himself scarce. She ran around from one end to another, grabbing necessary items for the treat._

_During her cooking extravaganza, noises of clattering pans, electronic whirring, and cries of "almost perfect!" were heard from the kitchen. However, no one dared to go and check it out. The cooking staff was relieved when the blonde girl came out with her prized possession and began prancing down the hall. Their relief faded and was quickly replaced with dread as they saw the mess they would be forced to clean._

_"Momma! Momma!" she cried joyfully, barreling into the room at the far end of the hall, stopping short as she saw a gathered crowd surrounding the bed where the Queen lay. She curiously stepped forward. At the girl's slate face, the Queen forced a smile._

_"There's my flower," she rasped horsley, yet with an air of feminine grace as she cupped her cheek. "What is it, dear?"_

_"I made this for you," the girl thrust the "muffin" forward. This action earned a few disgusted stares from those around the bed. With a weak hand, the Queen took the food from her daughter's hand and took a bite. Her eyes closed as she swallowed. "Wonderful, dear. I loved it. And I love you. Remember that..." her voice faded and her hand went limp, the muffin loosely bouncing from the sheets to the floor in a swift motion._

_"Momma?" the girl whined weakly, uneased at her mother's sudden silence before the muffin dropped to the ground. She placed hands on her shoulders and gave her a rough shake. "Momma? Momma wake up!"_

_"Virgo, get Lucy out of here," rough hands gripped the girl's arms, pulling her away from the bed. As the grip released, she was clamped in another from the lavender-haired maid who slowly dragged her out of the room._

_"Sorry, Mistress Lucy," the maid apologized quickly as she pulled the struggling girl from the scene. "But Master Heartfilia requests your absence."_

_"But Virgo!" the girl wailed through forming tears. "Let me back in there! I wanna see Momma! I wanna see my mother!"_

_"You cannot," Virgo stated flatly. The blonde broke from her grip with a wild cry and glared with chocolate brown eyes. "I hate you," she spat clearly before tearing down the hall in the opposite direction, most likely back to her room. The maid sighed, turning her attention back to voices echoing from the room._

_"It was her!" cried one of the servants angrily. "It was that so called 'muffin'! That 'muffin' killed our queen!"_

_"Quiet, Midus!" spat another. "The Queen was dying anyway! You shouldn't blame the girl! Right, Master Heartfilia?"_

_There came no audible response from the King, the room falling into silence._

_Over the years, the Queen's death still remained in the kingdom's hearts, the memory of their beloved Queen struck them inside deeply. And over these years, her daughter closed herself up from the rest of the world. More often than not she would be found locked in her room, either scribbling on paper or asleep with tears across her face; evidence that she had cried herself to sleep. Her father became cold and distant, refusing to even acknowledge he had a daughter to take care of. The girl was entering her teen years, resulting in several mood swings around her former friends around the servants. It wasn't long before no one wanted to even talk with her for she was so distraught._

_Whenever she tried to crawl out of her shell to try again, she would shy back in due to her father's actions. She constantly tried talking to him, trying to get him to move on. But whenever she brought it up, most likely it resulted in a slap or harsh beating. She eventually stopped completely and lived up to her father's expectations. She managed to avoid beatings and somehow managed to get over her mother's death. Some people in the kingdom still held it over her, knowing about the whole "muffin" incident._

_Then one day, she was called down to her father, instructed that she was to be married off to prince in the neighboring kingdom. Though she inwardly wanted nothing to do with marriage, the girl begrudgingly accepted..._

"Luce?" a weak voice broke the silence after the princess had paused, signifying the end of the story. Lucy's head turned to the side, staring down at the dragon. "Yes, Natsu?" she murmured in reply, struggling to keep the tears from falling.

"That girl in the story...it was you, wasn't it?"

The blonde nodded, glancing at the ground. "Yes," she answered simply. "Yes it was."

"Sorry," the dragon gave a weak sigh, coiling his tail around the traumatized princess. "You didn't have to tell me that."

"Sorry doesn't change the past," Lucy sighed. "And it was my choice to tell you anyways. It was all my fault." She pushed away Natsu's tail and climbed off the wooden structure. "I'm going to clear my head. Stay in bed and get some rest." With that said, she began to sullenly walk towards the cave entrance. Worried, Natsu's scarlet crown lifted to watch her wander away. He made no motion to stop her. A curious whine sounded from the top of his head, the blue furred cat mewling as the blonde disappeared out the cave entrance.

"I know little buddy," Natsu sighed, longing to follow her and offer comfort. "But she's got to figure this out for herself. She's gotten past the next stage. She's got to start recovery on her own. We can offer support, but she's the one who has to get through it."

Happy offered a squeaky mew, wanting to comfort the considerate princess but obeyed the dragon and remained where he was, curled up on his head. Natsu lowered his head and snuggled back under the tapestry. His inky black optic looked back longingly at the entrance as he released a subtle sigh. He slowly closed it and fell back into a tired sleep.

_Sorry I couldn't leave it on a fluffy note. Perhaps next chapter. I don't know where the muffin thing came from honestly. I must have been baking before writing this and ended up messing up some ingredients. Yeah...Snarky fails at cooking...Anyways, remember to read & review! My heart glows with pride after reading each and every comment so far. It's actually embarrassing to me in some ways considering I'm still unsure about letting other people read my work. Self-consciousness stuff. But I suppose I'll get over it eventually. Snarky out!_

_-Snarky_


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